Apparatus for cleaning the seats of water-closets



Dec. 30, 1924. 1,520,789

R. WEILL APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE SEATS OF WATER CLOSETS Filed July 12, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' R. WEILL APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE SEATS OF WATER CLOSETS 2 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fil'ed July 12 1924 Z 28 Patented Dec. 30, 1924.

UNITED STATES ROBERT WEILZL, F COLD/LAB, FRANCE.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE SEATS OF WATER-CLOSETS.

Application filed July 12,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT lVEiL of Grandrue i1, Colmar, Haut-Rhin France, a citizen of France, having invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning the Seats of VVater-Olosets, do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to water closets and more particularly to the cleaning of the seats of such closets if desired after each use are cleaned mechanically either by means of a strong jet of water or air or by a suction action on the impurities or even by rubbing with a water absorbing fabric.

The dillterent means may be used separately or together or in conjunction with known devices.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 showing a longitudinal section, and

Fig. 2 a plan.

Fig. 3 shows a part of the device in section to enlarged scale and hi g. i shows to like scale in plan the driving members of the apparatus.

As shown the bowl 1 is substantially of known construction and may be madev of porcelain or metal, and if of metal is cov ered with a layer of porcelain, enamel or the like. The bowl if of metal may also have an insert of porcelain or of a material having a smooth surface. At the rear of the bowl 1 is an auxiliary container 2 connected therewith by a passage '3 which container may be arranged also independently of the bowl.

On the upper edge of the bowl is secured by means of screws a plate i cut out to the shape of the bowl and fitted with three clifferent kinds of roller bearin s 5, 6, 7 the rollers of which rotate about pivots mounted on the plate. These rollers serve to guide an annular frame 8 of metal to which the seat 5.) is secured. The frame '8 thus rotates about the axis X-X when the cord 10 is pulled.

Around the frame are arranged on upright pivots at rollers 11. 12, 13 and '14 located at an angular distance apart of 15". These rollers engage cams on a Wheel 16 the hub 17 of which is mounted on a pivot 18 on a rearward extension 4: of the plate 4. On this hub are mounted two devices 19, 20 which serve for moistening, cleaning and drying the seat. These devices are of like length and so disposed that on rotation of passage of water.

1924. Serial No. 725,572.

21 secured in the frame the back of which brush is formed with holes 22 for the The water passes from the main through a coclithe valves 23 of which are fixed while its body portion 24. connected with the hub 17 may rotate about the pivot 18. lVhen this device extends in the longitudinal direction of the bowl the cock is opened and a spray of water flows over the seat.

The drying device 20 disposed at 180 thereto consists o a sponge-like fabric or like water absorbing material which is easily compressed and over which is arranged a heating wire 25 through which is adapted to pass an electric current. The wire 25 is connected to two brushes 26 which contact. with two conducting slip rings 27 keyed on but insulated from the supply pipe 28. A time switch (not shown in the drawing) is interposed in the circuit.

The starting device consists of a rope drum or disc loose on the hub 17 which rests on a collar of this hub and is held in position by a ring 31 provided with a lug 32. On a pivot 3 on the drum 29 is mounted a pawl 38 which is pressed by a spring 25 against the ring 31. A double wound cord 26 is secured in the groove in the drum, the one end of the cord being connected by aspring 37 with a fixed point 38 while the other end passes over a roller 39 to an actuating lever or pedal (not shown in the drawing). To this lever is connected in like manner a second cord 40 adapted to release the valve of the flushing tank.

A bolt 41 is mounted in two bearings 42 which ,bolt is pressed by the spring 43 against the frame 8. On the bolt is an arm L41 which lies above the disc 16 and is aetu' ated by a cam 45 on the latter while a cam $6 on the lower side of the disc strikes against a pawl 47 pivoted at 48 and pressed by a spring 49 against the bolt. hen this pawl bears against the lug 56 on the bolt the bolt is held in its rearmost position and an insulated contact piece 51 at the rear end of the bolt closes the switch 52 0f the circuit of the motor 53 (Fig. 4). The spring 49 acting on the pawl 47 presses at its other end against the abutment 50.

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The m'odus operandi of the apparatus is as follows In the position of the closet shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in which it is ready for use the dew'ces 19 and lie in a plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the bowl and the bolt 41 extending between the rollers 12 and 13 locks the seat. After use, in order to clean the seat and the bowl a lever is actuated which pulls the cords 36, 40. The cord opens the flushing valve while the cord 36 turns the disc 29, and the pawl bearing against the lug 32 effects a rotation of the hub 17 through 90 so that the washing device 19 moves over the seat (Figs. 3 and 4). At the same time the water cock is opened and a stream of water passes over the seat and partly into the bowl and partly into the receptacle 2.

By means of the actuating lever also the bolt 41 is pressed back by the cam 45 and is held in this position by the pawl 47 and the switch 52 is closed so that the motor 53 causes the seat to rotate. After the seat has turned through about 310 the roller 11 comes in contact with the tooth 11 of the disc 16 and causes rotation of the hub 17 whereby the cock is closed and the rollers 12, 13, 14 engage with the teeth 12 13, 14 so that after a complete rotation of the seat the drying device 20 comes into operative position over the seat where it remains during the further rotation of the seat through 310. Thereupon the rollers 11 and 12 come into engagement with the teeth 54, 55 of the wheel 16 whereby the drying device is returned to its position of rest. At the moment when the seat has reached its ordinary position the cam 46 releases the pawl 47 and the bolt now freed opens the switch and passes between the rollers 12 and 13 and thus locks the seat. The seat thus washed and dryed is now ready for use again. By the movement of the starter a time switch is set in operation which sends a current for a definite time through the wire 25 so that the device 20 is dried and the current then automatically switched off.

The device can be supplied with cold or warm water into which may be fed a disinfectant, a disinfectant container being provided from which the disinfectant is drawn by a stream of water into the main pipe and mixed therewith.

If two cleaning means are used, for example water and air, the cooks 23 have two passages, the outlet openings of which are in different horizontal planes.

In order to maintain the cleaning device 19 itself in a clean position there may be provided in the cook 23 a second opening 54, so that the brush is itself cleaned during one half of the cleaning operation.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for mechanically cleaning the seat of a water closet comprising in combination with a rotatable seat means for rotating the seat, seat cleansing devices and means for moving said seat cleansing devices into and out of operative relation to said seat.

2. Apparatus for mechanically cleaning the seat of a water closet comprising in combination with a rotatable seat, means for rotating the seat and means for moving cleansing devices into and out of operative position with relation to said seat said devices including a seat washing device and a seat drying device, said devices operable in succession.

3. Apparatus for mechanically cleaning the seat of a water closet comprising in combination with a rotatable seat, means for rotating the seat, seat clean-sing devices and means for moving such seat cleansing devices into and out of operative position with relation to said seat, said means operable by said seat, said devices including a liquid spreading device and a seat drying device, said devices rotatable about a vertical axis and operable in succession.

4. Apparatus for mechanically cleaning the seat of a water closet comprising in combination with a rotatable seat means for rotating the seat, seat cleansing devices, means for moving such seat cleansing devices into and out of operative position with relation to said seat said means operable by said seat, said devices including a liquid spreading device and a seat drying device, and electric means for drying said seat drying devlce.

5. Apparatus for mechanically cleaning the seat of a water closet comprising in combination with a rotatable seat, a driving motor for rotating the seat, seat cleansing devices, means "for moving said seat cleaning devices into and out of operative position with relation to said seat and means for interrupting the supply of current to the driving motor and for holding the seat stationary.

6. Apparatus for mechanically cleaning the seat of a water closet comprising in com bination with a bowl and seat rotatable about the bowl means for rotating the seat and means for moving cleaning devices into and out of operative relation to said seat said devices including a liquid spreading device and means adjacent the bowl for catching liquid from said liquid spreading device.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ROBERT lVEILL. 

